Voldemort didn't have time to stand around in a daze for long.
Attached to the statue, he had a clear view of Dumbledore's phoenix appearing gracefully in a burst of flame above the Chamber of Secrets.
"Kill that boy at all costs!" Voldemort screeched at the basilisk, already preparing to make his escape.
Whether this attempt to kill Harry Potter succeeded or not, it didn't matter much to Voldemort—as long as he got away fast enough to avoid Dumbledore catching him.
The only thing he regretted was not retrieving the diadem or luring Cohen into becoming the vessel for his resurrection.
Theodore Nott dove straight into the water on the other side—he just wanted to get out of this chaotic mess.
As he slipped out the Chamber's door and turned into the passageway, a flash of fire flickered, and he vanished.
But no one here noticed Theodore disappearing out of sight.
"Hiss…"
The old basilisk opened its abyss-like maw at Harry, its two long venomous fangs glinting.
Ron had already taken Hermione and left. Cohen had been swallowed by another basilisk that appeared out of nowhere—leaving Harry all alone.
How was he supposed to fight a massive basilisk like this? With his ordinary spells that couldn't even scratch the school walls? Or with that "love" thing Professor Dumbledore had talked about last year?
Truth was, Harry didn't have any great power. He could already picture the basilisk swallowing him whole too…
Just as despair sank in, a faint, ethereal song drifted down from the top of the Chamber.
A fiery red bird swooped down from above, its tail feathers brushing Harry's hair, and dropped off a gift.
The Sorting Hat.
Cohen had already briefed the old basilisk on what to do next. If it wanted to live a normal life, it was showtime.
Because Voldemort, true to form, had pulled his classic move—bailing the moment things went south.
The noseless white face on the statue vanished right after the phoenix showed up. The order had been given to the basilisk.
Harry yanked the Sword of Gryffindor out of the Sorting Hat, yelling about friendship, sacrifice, and bonds as he charged at the basilisk. His sudden burst of bravery threw the old basilisk—who had no intention of hurting him—into a panic. It started slithering in circles around Harry to avoid getting stabbed in the head.
Meanwhile, Cohen, in Dementor form, had Sisoko hold him in its mouth. This way, he wouldn't get covered in basilisk slime or accidentally nicked by Sisoko's teeth—avoiding some nasty outcomes…
Like Cohen feeling grossed out, or Sisoko getting poisoned by the liquid curse running through Cohen's body.
Neither the snake nor the "monster" had any plans to leave, though.
Cohen's original plan was to wait until the old basilisk made peace with Harry, then have Sisoko spit him out. Otherwise, Dumbledore, watching from the sidelines, would probably decide to gut Sisoko open himself.
Sisoko, meanwhile, had sensed another terrifying presence in the Chamber and wanted to grab its kid and bolt. But the underwater exit was suddenly sealed by some magic, leaving it trapped.
Probably that "Dumbledore" Cohen kept mentioning, keeping it from escaping—especially since it still had Cohen in its mouth.
So Sisoko quietly poked half its head out from the shadows near the pool's edge, watching the standoff between the old basilisk and "Harry Potter." It was waiting for the reconciliation to wrap up so it could pop out and spit Cohen out… Speaking of which, why was this kid squirming so much in there? He was practically sliding down its throat—
"Loosen up a bit, damn it! It's too tight!" Cohen jabbed Sisoko's upper jaw with his bony Dementor hand, muttering, "If it's too much trouble, just let me hang out in your stomach for a bit—"
"Hiss…"
That sudden jab almost made Sisoko spit Cohen out—but it reacted fast, popping its head above the water and opening its mouth slightly to avoid choking.
This slid Cohen a bit further toward its stomach, which actually made Sisoko feel a little better.
But to Harry—and Dumbledore, hidden nearby under a Disillusionment Charm—it looked like something else entirely.
It seemed like the basilisk was adjusting its grip to better swallow a struggling Cohen, all savage and bloodthirsty.
Dumbledore started to wonder if Cohen's earlier comment about "feeling like family" was actually true. Still, he could sense Cohen's magical signature—steady as ever.
Even though Cohen was squirming enough to annoy it, this new basilisk hadn't used its deadly fangs, so Dumbledore held off on attacking it for now.
That didn't mean Cohen was out of danger, though. The moment the basilisk opened its mouth, Dumbledore tossed a containment spell inside—just to make sure Cohen didn't get digested.
The person most worried about Cohen's safety—and the least clued in—was Harry.
He had no idea there were two basilisks in the Chamber, let alone that one of them might be related to Cohen.
"Cohen! Hang on!"
Harry shot a worried glance toward the other basilisk, concerned for Cohen, but quickly refocused on the one circling him fast.
He swung the Sword of Gryffindor at the old basilisk's scales, but the blade couldn't pierce through.
If he really wanted to hurt it, he'd have to aim for a weak spot—the mouth, or the eyes.
"I'm actually fine!"
Cohen's voice echoed faintly through the water and Sisoko's belly.
Thanks to the containment spell Dumbledore had thrown in, Cohen's situation was way better than expected. The spell had carved out a hollow space around him, giving him room to move comfortably.
Not great news for Sisoko, though—it felt like it hadn't swallowed its son, but some round, rock-hard lump. Its stomach was feeling a bit bloated.
"Hiss… (I'm not fine)…"
Sisoko grumbled uncomfortably.
Harry heard it but couldn't figure out why this basilisk was casually chatting like that in the middle of all this.
Whatever—he had to deal with this one fast and save Cohen.
The bigger basilisk he was facing suddenly stopped circling.
Harry watched as it slowly opened its mouth—like it was about to lunge and sink its venomous fangs into him. This was his chance!
He knew those fangs could kill him easily, but it was his only shot at beating the basilisk. He wasn't sure if he could free Cohen before the venom took him down…
Screw it!
Harry gripped the Sword of Gryffindor tight and charged at the basilisk's slightly open—soon to be fully gaping—mouth.
If he could just get there… if he could just drive the sword in—
"Hiss—Hiss hiss hiss!" (Stop, stop, stop!)
The old basilisk had planned to wait until the kid tired himself out to negotiate peace. But the second it opened its mouth, Harry suddenly went full kamikaze, rushing at it with the sword like he didn't care about his life.
Cohen was right—this kid might actually kill it if it kept following that Slytherin heir's orders…
Harry heard the basilisk call for a halt and slowed down.
It really hadn't lunged at him after opening its mouth. It was way bigger than the one that swallowed Cohen—there was no reason for it to—
Wait, what? Didn't Voldemort order it to "kill Harry Potter at all costs"? Why was it stopping now?
"Hiss hiss…" (Can we make peace?)
The old basilisk spoke up.
(End of Chapter)